MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Kennesaw State football rolled up six touchdowns and two interceptions in a 44-28 takedown of Middle Tennessee to cap Weekday CUSA action on Wednesday night at Floyd Stadium.
The Owls (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) also got a Herculean effort by its defense that included two interceptions (including a pick six), six tackles for loss, two sacks and a whopping 10 quarterback hurries over more than 40 minutes on the field.
The Blue Raiders (4-4, 2-2 CUSA) suffered their largest G6 defeat of the season, having previously only lost by at most 10 before Wednesday's 16-point setback.
Kennesaw State stormed out of the games early, picking up five plays of 10 yards or more on the opening drive, including a 33-yard dime from quarterback Rickie Collins to Javon Rogers. A 12-yard power run to the endzone from Boogie Woods III capped the effort.
But Middle Tennessee would strike for the next two scores, working to two long scoring drives, including a 14-play, 76-yard march in the second quarter that devoured 9:22 from the clock.
Right from the ensuing kickoff, KSU flew back on the attack as veteran Owl Davis Bryson took back the return 52 yards to set up Kennesaw State from the MTSU 45-yard line. Five plays later, Collins found his mark again, this time on a 23-yard pass in the endzone to none other than Bryson for his first career TD reception.
The Owls' defense then forced a punt that wideout/punt return man Brayden Munroe would return for 49 yards to once again set themselves up in great field position at the MTSU 31.
One play later, Collins was throwing his second touchdown pass of the game on a 31-yard acrobatic catch by Dylan Gary to go up 19-14.
Kennesaw State would go into the half up 19-17 after MTSU connected on a 38-yard field goal.
The KSU defense provided the jolt of energy to open the second half as linebacker Tywon Christopher jumped the route on just the second pass of the half to intercept it and run it back 59 yards for the touchdown – the first defensive score for KSU since Caleb Offord in 2025.
Collins found Woods on the two-point conversion to go up 27-17.
Middle Tennessee wouldn't find the endzone again until the final two minutes of the game, only connecting on a 38-yard field goal with 4:20 left in the third to pull within a touchdown.
But the Owls kept the throttle down. Collins used a 34-yard connection to Munroe to set up his third and final touchdown of the game, once again finding Gary for another circus catch from 28 yards out.
Six minutes later, veteran defensive back Isaac Paul hauled in KSU's second interception of the night, returning it 41 yards to the MTSU 2-yard line.
From there, Woods needed just one carry to scamper into the endzone and seal the win for Kennesaw State.
Collins finished 16-of-19 (84.2%) passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. He recorded a QB rating of 216.9 for the game.
The Owls sported four receivers with 40 or more yards – Gary (59), Rogers (47), Bryson (46), and Munroe (45) – while Woods led the way on the ground with 12 carries for 67 yards and two scores.
Outside of the turnovers defensively, defensive back Tay'vion Lawson had a career-high nine tackles and a career-high two tackles for loss. Linebackers Baron Hopson and Christopher combined for 17 tackles with Christopher's TFL and INT and two QB hurries from Hopson.
Cam Miller and Alfred Thomas both had seven tackles apiece, while Marcus Patterson, Josh Anglin and Jeremy Greaves Jr. all recorded five stops each. Ugonna Nwoha wreaked havoc with two sacks, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble.
Kennesaw State returns to Saturdays at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium next week as it plays host to Delaware on Nov. 7 for Homecoming. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the KSU Owl Network.
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Postgame Notes
Team Notes
- Kennesaw State ups its record to 1-3 in Conference USA play.
- Kennesaw State ups its record to 2-6 overall.
- Kennesaw State snaps a six-game skid.
- Kennesaw State improves to 10-4 against Conference USA foes under head coach Jerry Mack.
- Kennesaw State wins its second-straight game over Middle Tennessee.
- Kennesaw State captures its 12th victory in 22 games under Mack.
- Kennesaw State scores its most amount of points this season (44) since it scored 47 against West Georgia (Sept. 3) and its most against a Conference USA opponent since Liberty (48 (2OT) - Nov. 29, 2025). It marks the most scored against a CUSA foe in regulation since Missouri State (41 – Nov. 22, 2025).
- r-So. RB Boogie Woods III's 12-yard rushing touchdown on the opening drive marked the first opening drive touchdown for Kennesaw State since West Georgia (Sept. 3) and first opening-drive score since Jax State (Oct. 7).
- With the third-quarter pick six, Kennesaw State's defense recorded a touchdown for the first time since 2025 (Caleb Offord vs. UTEP).
- With the pick six, Kennesaw State has now recorded a non-offensive touchdown every year of its program's history.
- Kennesaw State has now recorded an interception in three of the last four games.
- r-Jr. DB Isaac Paul's fourth quarter interception capped the Owls' first multi-interception game since Missouri State (Nov. 15, 2025).
- Wednesday marked MTSU quarterback Roman Gagliano's first multi-interception game of 2026. The redshirt sophomore doubled up his interception count after only recording two interceptions on the season prior to Wednesday.
- After MTSU converted 9-of-11 (82%) on third down in the first half, the Kennesaw State defense clamped down, only surrendering 2-of-9 (22%) in the second half.
- Kennesaw State's 6.6 yards per play marks the best against an FBS opponent this season (prev. 6.3, twice – last against Jax State on Oct. 7).
- Kennesaw State lost the time-of-possession battle 40:19 to 19:41. The last time KSU won the game despite losing the TOP battle was Liberty on Nov. 29, 2025.
- Wednesday marked the first time in program history in which the Owls possessed the football for less than 20 minutes.
Individual Notes
- Woods kicked things off for the Owls with an opening-drive touchdown before capping the night with a 2-yard rushing touchdown with 5:15 left in the game. His performance marks the second multi-touchdown game of the season for him as he now has six rushing touchdowns this year.
- r-Sr. WR Davis Bryson recorded a career-long 52-yard kickoff return to open the Owls' third possession of the game in the second quarter (prev. 33 vs. Jax State (Dec. 5, 2025)).
- Bryson would cap that drive with his first career receiving touchdown – a 23-yard dime from r-Jr. QB Rickie Collins with 9:31 left in the second quarter. Bryson converted to wide receiver from quarterback following the 2024 season.
- Bryson becomes only the second player in KSU program history to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in a career (Jake McKenzie, RB (2015-18)).
- Bryson finished with 147 all-purpose yards (30 rushing, 46 receiving, 71 kickoff return).
- Collins' touchdown pass to Bryson marked the fifth passing touchdown of the season and 11th of his career.
- Collins completed his second passing touchdown of the game, finding r-Jr. WR Dylan Gary on a 31-yard contested catch in the endzone with 5:45 left in the first half. Gary then hauled in another circus catch with 11:50 left in the fourth quarter to give him his fourth of the season and third in the last two games. It also marked the 14th of his career.
- Gary's two-touchdown game marks the first multi-receiving-TD game of the season for the Owls.
- Collins finished the game with an ultra-efficient 16-of-19 for 206 yards and three passing touchdowns.
- Sr. WR Brayden Munroe returned a second-quarter punt 49 yards – good for the longest KSU punt return of the season (prev. 12 vs. Jax State (Oct. 7)). The 49-yard return is tied for fifth in program history.
- Munroe finished with 106 all-purpose yards (45 receiving, 61 kickoff return).
- r-So. LB Tywon Christopher recorded the first pick-six for Kennesaw State since 2024 (Jayven Williams vs. UT Martin). The 59-yard return ranks fourth-longest interception return in program history.
- It marked Christopher's first interception of the season and second of his career (prev. 1 vs. New Mexico State (Nov. 8, 2025)).
- So. DB Tay'vion Lawson recorded a career-high 9 tackles (prev. 7, twice – last at Missouri State (Oct. 14, 2026)). His 2.0 tackles for loss were also a career high (prev. 1.5 vs. Western Michigan (Dec. 19, 2025)).
- Gr. LB Baron Hopson had 9 tackles that allowed him to surpass 300 in his collegiate career.
Multimedia
Postgame Interviews (Coach Mack, Tywon Christopher and Davis Bryson)
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